1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to devices and methods for reading information from information bearing cards, and more particularly to devices and methods for the reading of different types of information bearing cards.
2. Description of Related Art
Information cards have become increasingly important in recent times due to the increase in cashless transactions and the need for greater corporate, home and governmental security. Information cards are typically some type of plastic card that contains and conveys information in the form of indicia, or as encoded information. For instance, information cards include magnetic stripe cards, such as credit cards and banking cards, that can be “swiped” past a reader to convey the information encoded in the magnetic stripe. Barcode cards bear barcode indicia that can be scanned by a laser scanner, or other scanning device, to convert the visual indicia of the barcode into digital information. In addition to barcodes, cards may include other indicia such as fluorescent text, holograms, or encode pixilated images that can be read with appropriate readers. Smart cards include cards having some type of electronic component, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that responds to a radio emission with its own emission of information stored in memory. Other types of smart card are also used, such as cards having circuitry and contacts (e.g., gold plated contacts) which are contacted by the smart card reader for reading.
One use of these cards is in cashless transactions, such as at a restaurant. After completion of dining, a waitperson brings a bill to the table. Upon noticing the bill, the customer either pays in cash or provides a credit or bank card. The waitperson must retrieve the credit or bank card and return to a point-of-sale terminal to swipe the card (if it is a magnetic stripe card). Once the transaction is approved at the point-of-sale terminal, a receipt is printed out bearing the transaction amount and a signature line. The waitperson then returns to the table and drops off the card and receipt for signing by the customer. The customer signs the receipt to acknowledge payment and is then free to depart. As is evident from the description, the process of conducting a credit card transaction is relatively time consuming when compared to a cash transaction.
Wireless point of sale terminals have been developed in an effort to mediate the delays of paying by credit or bank card. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020077974 to Ortiz (“Ortiz”) discloses a hand held device 56 that includes a touch screen display 52 and that is configured to read a card 50 and transmit transaction information over a wireless network 70 to a printing station 72, as shown in FIG. 4 of Ortiz. During use the credit card is inserted into the hand held device which reads data from the credit card and transmits this data wirelessly through a local server to a clearinghouse server. If the clearinghouse server approves the transaction, the hand held device wirelessly transmits details to the printer for printing of a receipt. The touch screen display may also be configured to record a signature of the cardholder. Notably, the hand held device disclosed by Ortiz eliminates the need to return with the card to a point of sale terminal. However, the printing station may also be at an inconvenient location for the waitperson and require additional trips. Further, with the advent of different types of transaction cards, such as smart and RFID the problem may still arise that the hand held device will only be able to recognize one type of card.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,679 to Levie (“Levie”) discloses a modular transaction terminal that includes a communications module 100 defining a longitudinal slot 96 for receiving and reading a magnetic strip card and transverse slot 98 for receiving and reading smart cards, as shown in FIG. 4 of Levie. In addition, the communications module may be connected to a printer 108, as shown in FIG. 7 of Levie. Despite being able to read two different types of information or transaction cards, the entire assembled unit shown by Levie is rather large and cumbersome for comfortable handheld use.
It would be advantageous, therefore, to have a hand held point-of-sale transaction device that not only allows for mobile point of sale activities, but also printed receipts resulting from those activities. In addition, it would be advantageous to have a mobile point of sale device that is capable of reading different types of information cards without being large or cumbersome.